By Emily Senger
Bulletin boards around campus will soon be plastered with more than just posters of scantily clad woman inviting students to trendy nightclubs.
The campaign for the Students’ Union General Election begins Mon., Feb. 6 and SU candidates will cover the walls with their posters in hopes of winning votes when students cast their electronic ballots.
The ballot will also include a non-binding plebiscite question to ask students how the SU should spend $1.76 million allocated by the University of Calgary Board of Governors.
“The plebiscite helps us when the committee meets to determine what students are thinking,” said SU President Bryan West.
Candidates for both the executive and commissioner positions will have the chance to duke it out Martin/Harper style at all-candidates forums, which begin the week of Feb. 6. The forums run each day from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the North Courtyard of MacEwan Student Centre.
For students who want to get informed without leaving the comfort of their own house, the SU is launching a new election website to feature candidate platforms. There are also plans to expand on website content.
“The website is one stop shopping for students who are wondering who to vote for,” said West. “In the future it will be able to hold all types of media.”
West encouraged students to vote in the election, which had a turnout of only 21 per cent last year.
“The best thing we can do to ensure the SU is a relevant organization to students is to have high participation in elections,” said West.
Students can vote on-line by logging onto the Infonet between Feb. 14 and 16. Electronic polling stations will also be set up around campus.